New Details in Savoy Shootings

Posted: Tue 7:31 PM, Jun 28, 2005&nbsp|&nbsp

Updated: Wed 7:19 AM, Jun 29, 2005

06-28-05 - For nearly 23 years, David and Andrea Wilhelm lived a relatively peaceful marriage. Before March of this year, there was no prior record of assault or family violence. But that all changed back on June 16.

"By watching and looking back, in her gut she knew this was going to happen, she believed it would be when she was alone not when she was at work, that shocked everybody."

Back in March, David Wilhelm kidnapped his estranged wife from her workplace, drove her around and threatened to kill her with a knife. Andrea escaped and called authorities.

Fannin County Sheriff's deputies arrested Wilhelm that night after he led them on a chase. He was charged with a felony count of aggravated kidnapping, assault, and several misdemeanors. Bond was set at $300,000.

"It wasn't high enough at the maximum, $300,000; it should have been virtually impossible for him to get the amount of bail needed for him to get out under the circumstances."

But Wilhelm did get out in early April after a judge reduced his bond from $300,000 to just $65,000.

"She said if he did it again from the kidnapping, he would do it right [and] have a gun. She believed her life was in danger when she got kidnapped."

According to court records, Andrea had a protective order but it didn't stop Wilhem on that fateful morning.

"You can't really tell what a person's going to do; you can think they might be dangerous, but you just don't know."

Sadly, says Fannin County Crisis Counselor Becky Williamson, Andrea did everything right. She reported the abuse and got the protective order, one Wilhelm ignored, costing both their lives and leaving three orphaned children.

We spoke with Andrea’s divorce attorney by phone this afternoon. He says their divorce was close to being finalized and the night before she was murdered, Andrea called him to say she was relieved her nightmare was almost over.

A co-worker of Andrea Wilhelm, Felipe Hernandez, was also shot and killed at the EPAC plant. David Wilhelm shot himself and later died at a Dallas hospital.

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